Air-pressure-maintenance chamber for aircraft.



J. J. REYNOLDS AIR PRESSURE MAINTENANCE CHAMBER FOR AIRCRAFT.

APPLICATION FILED 'JAN- 31. 1917.

Patented Oct. 16, 1917.

JOHN J. nmznonns, on RANTOUL, armors.

amrnnssunn-mnmrnnnncn cnAMBnn. non AIRCRAFT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 16, 1917.

Application filed January 31, 1917. Serial No. 145,718.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Joan J. REYNOLDS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Rantoul, in the county of Champaign and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Air-Pressure- Maintenance Chambers for Aircraft, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for an object to give a means for maintaining safe and comfortable living conditions for the crew, oificers and passengers of an air craft while operating at extremely high altitudes, and in atmosphere of such rarefaction as to involve danger to human life, or at least which would interfere with the efliciency of human activity.

It is an important aim to give an extremely simple apparatus which will operate automatically to maintain in a compartment any degree of air pressure that may be predetermined upon and including means for supplying air constantly, such as a pump. It is an important purpose of the invention to' give a device which will be promptly and automatically operative to readily permit venting of air supplied by the pumping device or any other suitable means, as long as it is maintained at the proper pressure. The means for supplying air may include if desired cylinders of oxygen or air, if preferred. It is also an important aim of the invention to provide means which will automatically operate to prevent escape of air in case the regulating device becomes damaged, and which may Fig. 1 is a similar view of the pressure putlet valve and controlling means therefor.

There is illustrated in the present instance a dii'igible balloon, although the invention is applicable to use in various other shown in the drawings,

forms of aircraft, the balloon including a main car portion 10, at the forward end of which there is provided, a chamber 11,

which will be the living chamber when the car is at excessively high altitudes and in which the control apparatus for the craft may be located, or duplicate control apparatus, as may be desired, these details in- 5 volving no part of the present invention, and therefore not being illustrated. On one of the wall portions of the craft one or more pumps maybe mounted, adapted to force air from without the chamber 11 to the interior thereof, in the present instance two diaphragm pumps 12 being illustrated, mounted upon the end wall of the chamber. The construction of these pumps may follow any approved method, the showing in the present instance being largely formal,

and representing simply an oscillating 'diaphragm element 13 mounted upon the outer side of a plate 14:, which may form a part of the end of the chamber 11. An operating stem 15 being extended from the central portion of the diaphragm through the plate 14: in a suitable manner, and having a lever 16 connected thereto, the lever having a suitable operating handle on its outer 8 end by which the device may be manually operated, although any other suitable means for operating the diaphragm may be utilized. Suitableair inlet ports 17 are formed in the diaphragm and plate 14:, provided with valves 18, opening toward the interior of the chamber 11.

At a suitable point upon the chamber an opening 20 is formed in the wall thereof,

communicating with the exterior, a small! casing element 21 being mounted over this opening having a similar registered open-- ing 22 outwardly thereof, the two openings being provided with planiform parallel seats 23in opposition to each other between 1 0' which areciprocating valve 24 is mounted, to engage the seats alternately, at respective limits of its movement. Adjacent the opening 20, a pressure retaining chamber 25 is mounted, including an element movable by variations of external pressure active upon the device, in, the present instance comprising a receptacle body having a diaphragm 26, suitably secured and sealed upon the open endof the receptacle, the inner 11 end of/the receptacle being suitably closed by a rigid partition or plate. The diaphragm 26 is oscillable in a direction parallel to the axis of the openings 20'and 22.

A lever 27 of the second class is pivoted upon a suitable arm 28 adjacent the opening 20, and has a proper connection with a slidably mounted stem 29 extended from the valve 24, whereby the valve Will be operated upon oscillation of the lever 27. The other end of the lever is connected to the diaphragm 26 in a suitable manner the relations of the parts being such that when the pressure in the device 25 is balanced by external pressure the valve 24 will. be in an intermediate position between the seat 23.

In the use of the invention, the pressure retaining device is charged at a pressure at which it is regarded as desirable to be the minimum in the lifting chamber 11, which may be either normal atmospheric pressure at sea level, or may be somewhat less. as considered best. When the device is at the ground level, should the pressure in the chamber 25 be less than normal atmospheric pressure at the ground, the diaphragm would be borne inwardly, holding the valve 24 in neutral unseated position. When the craft has passed above the altitude at which the external. atmospheric pressure is the same as that in the chamber 25, the diaphragm will be borne outwardly moving the valve 24 inwardly to engage the inner seat 23, whereby escape of air from the chamber 11 will be prevented.

Suitable means being provided upon the craft to indicate the passage of the craft beyond the altitude predetermined, the crew and oflicers will be thereby warned and may enter the chamber 11, which may be provided with any usual form of air tight doors and air lock compartment at the entrance. The pumping devices 12 are then operated to renew the air in the chamber, and as soon as the air has been raised beyond the pressure in the chamber 25, the valve 24 will open, permitting excess air to escape.

It will beseen that in case the chamber 25 should leak allowing the pressure therein to fall, or if the levers connected with the valve should break, the valve will be moved by means of the escaping air into engagement with theouter seat 23,,thereby preventing accidental loss of air from the chamber through the valve device. 7

In practice, it is considered desirable that a. number of the governing appliances, as complete and independent units, should be incorporated upon the chamber 11 so that in case of damage to one of the devices the others will operate to maintain the chamber in safe position. However, in case it should be desirable, the valve 24 may be operated by hand, by simply grasping the stem 29 and drawing it inwardly until a suitable quantity of airhas been permitted to escape,

atter which its release will permit the valve I to seat against the outer seat 23 under pressure of the escaping air.

It is of course to be understood that the range of movement of the diaphragm on the outlet opening being formed in said chamber, a valve positioned and movable to close said opening, a static pressure retaining chamber having a pressure-operated element associated therewith in a reiation to be moved under variations of external pressure, and connections between said pressure operated element and said valve.

2. In an aero-craiit, a living chamber constructed to retain air under pressure, means to force air thereinto, a vent device therefor comprising a valve device having opposed seats, a valve movable therebetween, openings being formed therethrough to form comunication between the interior of said living chamber and the atmosphere, a valve movable between said seats for alternate seating engagement therewith, a pressure retaining chamber within the first named chamber including a movable element operative under variations in the pressure in the living chamber, and connections between said movable element last named and said valve operative to close said valve upon the inner of said seats when pressure in the living chamber is below that in the pressure retaining device, for the purposes described.

3. In a device of the character described, a living chamber having a vent opening, a valve outwardly thereof adapted to close said opening under inward movement, a pressure retaining device having expansive fluid under pressure therein including a member movable under influence of unbalanced pressures withinand without said pressure retaining device, a lever mounted with a portion movable inwardly of said opening in line with the axis of the opening,

and being connected to the valve, said lever being also connected with said movable member of the pressure retaining device for movement under expansion of said gas to close said valve. I

in testimony whereof I. have affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

Jonn J. anrnotns.

Witnesses:

H. L. Wooowano, W. BAUM. 

